Truck for handling cloth



y 1934. D. GESSNER 1,959,622

TRUCK FOR HANDLING CLOTH Filed Feb. 15. 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l May 22,1934. D. GESSNER TRUCK FOR HANDLING CLOTH Fi led Feb. 15. 1952 2Sheets-Sheet 2 M My 0 5 Z 7 0 8 5 a Z Z 2 2 Patented May 22, 19341,959,622 TRUCK FOR HANDLING CLOTH David Gessner,

Worcester, Mass.

Application February 15, 1932, Serial No. 593,063

2 Claims.

This invention relates to the handling of cloth in successive finishingoperations. In such operations, it is frequently desirable, and in factnecessary, that the cloth pass through successive machines in the samedirection and with the same end of the piece of cloth entering firstinto each of the successive machines.

As the cloth leaves each machine, it is usually deposited in a foldedpile on a truck or other support. In order that the same end of thecloth may enter first into the succeeding machine, it has been necessaryto refold the cloth in a reverse pile as a separate operation, or toturn the pile of folded cloth bottom side up. This has been a heavy andlaborious manual operation, during which the folded cloth frequentlybecame more or less disarranged, which often caused trouble in the nextoperation.

It is the object of my present invention to provide means by which apile of folded cloth may be quickly and easily inverted and withoutdisarrangement of the cloth.

A further object is to provide mechanical means by which a singleoperator may easily invert or reverse a large pile of heavy wet clothwithout assistance and without disarranging the folds.

In the preferred form of the invention, I embody my improvements in aspecial truck construction by which the cloth may be moved about fromplace to place as well as being inverted before feeding to the nextsucceeding machine.

My invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of partswhich will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out inthe appended claims.

A preferred form of the invention is shown in the drawings, in whichFig. 1 is a side elevation of a truck embodying my improvements;

Fig. 2 is an end view thereof, looking in the direction of the arrow 2in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional end elevation, taken along the line 3-3 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the parts in a differentposition,

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view, taken along the line 5-5 in Fig. 1,and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged side elevation of a fastening device to bedescribed.

Referring to the drawings, my improved truck comprises a base or frame10 having an axle 11 on which wheels 12 are pivoted. Straps 13 hold theaxle 11 in position under the base or frame 10.

Rollers 14 are mounted in swiveled brackets 15 at the ends of the truck,but one only of these rollers 14 ordinarily engages the floor at thesame time.

Stands or brackets 16 are mounted at the ends of the frame 10 andsupport bearings 17 and 18 for gudgeons 20 and 21 fixed in heads 22 and23 which form the ends of the reversible truck body.

Rods or tubes 25 connect the heads 22 and 23 and provide supports forside frame members 2'? to which spaced wooden slats 28 are secured inany suitable or convenient manner.

The side frame members 27 are provided wit offset projections 30 at bothends thereof, to which cover frame members 32 are secured by lockingpins 34 (Fig. 6). 35 are secured to the frame members 32.

The assembled frame members 32 and slats 35 constitute the coverportions A and B of the truck body. The parts A and B are of identicalconstruction and either part may act as the bottom while the other partacts as the top. Either part A or B may be released and moved toinoperative position as indicated in Figs. 3 and 4 by removing thelocking pins 34 along one edge of the selected cover portion andswinging the released cover portion around the locking pins 34 along itsopposite edge as pivots.

The gudgeon 21 at the left-hand end of the truck (as viewed in Fig. l)is extended beyond the bearing bracket 18 and is provided with a gearengaged by a pinion 41 rotatably mounted in a bearing 42 (Fig. 2)supported by the stand or bracket 16. The gudgeon 21 is provided withopposed recesses 44 (Fig. 5), either one of which is adapted to receivea spring-pressed stud or plunger 45 having a knob or handle 46 by whichit may be raised to release the gudgeon.

Whenever the truck body is in either the position shown in Fig. 3 or theposition shown in Fig. 4, the plunger 45 enters one of the recesses 44and holds the truck body from accidental rotation. When, however, it isdesired to reverse the truck body, the plunger 45 is raised to releasethe gudgeon 21, and the truck body may thenbe rotated by means of ahandle 50 attached to the pinion 41.

Having thus described the details of construction of my improved truck,the use and advantages thereof will be readily apparent. The truck willbe placed at the delivery end of a finishing machine, with the coverpart A open as indicated in Fig. 3, and the cloth C will then bedeposited in uniform folds in the truck body by any usual folding anddelivery mechanism.

After one or more pieces of cloth have been de- Additional spaced slatsposited in the truck body, the cover portion A is closed and secured byinserting the associated locking pins 34. The spring plunger 45 is thenraised to release the gudgeon 21 and the operator quickly and easilyreverses the truck body by turning the handle 50.

When the reverse position is reached, the plunger 45 snaps into lockingposition, after which the operator unlocks and opens the cover portionB, and the cloth C is then ready for removal, presenting the same end ofthe piece of cloth to the next machine as in the preceding machine, sothat the cloth enters successive machines without reversal.

Furthermore, it will be noted that both cover portions A and B areclosed and locked while the truck body is being reversed, so that thereis no chance for the folds of cloth to be disarranged or to be in anyway displaced during the inverting operation.

While I have described my invention as embodied in a truck for handlingcloth, it will be understood that the invention is also capable of moregeneral application and can be used for handling any kind of material inwhich reversal between successive operations is desired.

Obviously, either cover part A or B may be removed entirely wheneverdesired, by taking out the locking pins along both edges.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do notwish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than asset forth in the claims, but what I claim is:-

1. A truck for handling folded cloth or other sheet material comprisinga supporting frame, a

body pivotally mounted in said frame and having removable cover portionsat two opposed faces thereof, means to position said body with eithercover portion uppermost, said body comprising a plurality of side framemembers having spaced body slats mounted thereon and having offset endextensions, and detachable pivot-' ing and securing means effective tosecure each longitudinal edge of each cover portion to said endextensions of said side frame member.

2. A truck for handling folded cloth or other sheet material comprisinga supporting frame having spaced up-standing bearing portions, anelongated rectangular body adapted to receive layers of folded cloth andhaving end gudgeons rotatably supported in said bearing portions, endframes in which said gudgeons are mounted, connecting members extendinglongitudinally between said end frames and holding said frames in fixedspaced relation, side frame members mounted in spaced relation on saidconnecting members, a plurality of spaced slats mounted on said sideframe members and forming the sides of said body, spaced cover framemembers pivotally and detachably connected at both ends to the ends ofsaid side frame members, and slats mounted in spaced relation on saidcover frame members, whereby a body is provided having spaced slattedsides and covers, said body being reversible on said supporting frameand each cover being manually releasable along either longitudinal edgethereof and adapted for swinging movement about its oppositelongitudinal edge when thus released.

DAVID GESSNER.

